Bonds of Family
by AndyHood
Summary: Sequel to Brothers. Adam has some doubts about his place in the Winchester family. A late night conversation with Sam and Cas might show Adam just how cared for he is. And Dean might be able to make peace with a ghost from his past


Adam snuck quietly out of the motel room, leaving Dean and Sam slumbering peacefully.

It was times like this night that Adam felt so useless, a tag along. It had been a simple poltergeist and Adam had literally stood there while Dean and Sam took it down without any trouble. And the time before that Adam had been caught by a minor pagan god and Dean had been the one to find him and kill it before it killed Adam. And if that wasn't bad enough he had to endure Dean's angry speech about being careful.

For years it had been just him and his mom with an occasional visit from the man he called Dad, but he now knew that he barely even knew the man. And seeing Dean and Sam in action made Adam feel like he wasn't his son at all.

"I sensed great conflict in you tonight, what is the matter Adam?" came the voice of Castiel as he appeared next to Adam on the bench outside the motel room.

Adam sighed, it was strange to think he had grown used to Castiel popping in and out. "Sometimes Cas I feel that Dean and Sam wish that they never found out about me, that I don't belong with them."

"I see" murmured Cas pondering. "I have felt like this many times Adam, I am an Angel of the Lord I have lived a very long life. And through all of it I had my brothers and sisters with me, but when I rebelled and fell I was alone for the first time. Cut off from heaven and I didn't know what to do. But Dean and Sam took me in, and showed me what a real family was. They made a place for me in their family for me and I have been showed how precious that is. If Dean and Sam did not want you they would have gotten rid of you at the nearest town" said Cas matter of factly.

Adam knew he couldn't argue with that. He had seen his brothers get rid of people so quick it made his head spin. "It's just Dean and Sam have this bond that I feel that I'm intruding on, they can just look at each other and leave me feeling that I missed an entire conversation"

"That have been through much together" stated Cas.

"That's just it, they have been through so much, yet when I try to ask about anything of their past I get brushed off. I barely know anything about them Cas and I feel that I'm on the outside looking in. Even when you interact with them I feel left out."

"Dean and Sam have been through much together" repeated Cas and watched as Adam seemed to deflate a little more. "It isn't my place to tell you what happened to them. When Dean is ready, he will reveal their past. Sometimes Dean forgets that he has to tell people things. It has been Sam and he for so long that they don't need to speak."

"I know it's not your place, I'm sorry I'm just a little frustrated."

"You have a right to be," came a new voice and Sam stepped out of the shadows of the awning.

"How long have you been there Sam?" asked Adam, looking around to see if Dean was there also.

"Long enough," said Sam as he sat down in the place Cas had just occupied. With the appearance of Sam, the angel had disappeared again.

Adam sighed and rubbed his hands over his face. "I didn't mean for you to overhear that. I was just getting my frustrations out, Cas was just being a sympathetic ear.

Sam was slightly surprised at that, but pushed it aside. "I'm glad I overheard it. I don't think Dean or I realized what it might be like for you. We know more about you than you know about us. And I should fix that" said Sam stretching out his legs to get comfortable.

"Dean and Me, well we were all the other had for the longest time. I could always depend on Dean being there for me. We got used to speaking with only looks and knowing what the other was going to do before the other one was going to do it" said Sam. "Its what made us one of the greatest hunters out there. But our close relationship came with a price. When I was a baby he pulled me out of the fire when a demon murdered our Mother. Ever since than he feels that looking out for me was his only job, something Dad reinforced. Dean practically raised me and he knows me better than anyone on this planet. Dean sold his soul in return to bring me back from the dead. He spent a year in hell because of it. And I repaid him back by opening the seal and releasing Lucifer. Though he would never blame me for my actions. Dean feels that my failures are his failures because it is his job to be the older brother, to protect his brother. He feels the same way about you."

"Me, how can he feel that way about me?" asked Adam. After hearing the lengths Dean went for Sam, he didn't know how he could even contend with that. "I'm the guy that ruined the image you guys had of your Dad. He was normal with me, something that you guys never had."

Sam sighed remembering when they thought they first met Adam, before they found out it was a ghoul. "I admit when we first found out, Dean was really mad. Dad was something else to Dean, something he never was to you or me. Dean followed what Dad asked without a question like a soldier. Dean couldn't believe that Dad would betray our Mom's memory like that. But after he accepted the truth, Dean wanted to leave, wanted you to go back to your normal life. It was I who insisted on teaching you things. When we found out it was a ghoul and we had never met the real you Dean was crushed, though he would never admit it. He felt that he had let Dad down all over again by not keeping you safe and letting another member of our family be killed by the supernatural. That's why he was so upset the other day with the pagan god."

Adam shifted, it never occurred to him how much Dean had on his shoulders. He thought that the angry speech was because Dean was beginning to regret keeping Adam around. Never did Adam think that it was because Dean had been scared to lose him again.

Sam threw his arm over Adam's shoulder and squeezed. "Adam you are part of this family and we do want you around. I've actually never seen Dean this content with life. And Dean might not be the showiest of people when it comes to emotions but he cares and wants you to stay."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Adam tossing the rock into the parking lot.

"Because he let you take out Baby for a supply run all by yourself and he let you have the last piece of apple pie the other week. It's the little things that you have to look for when it comes to Dean. He hates chick flick moments, so he shows he cares in small ways" said Sam. "Besides it was after Dad went missing that Dean let me drive Baby, so I should be a little worried that he might like you better" joked Sam.

"That is true, Dean has yet to let me drive his vehicle" said Cas, appearing once more with a burger in his hand.

"That's because you don't have a license Cas, plus Dean has seen the other three cars you have practiced driving with. There is no way he is letting you near Baby with that record" joked Sam. "Now I don't know about you two but I would like to get some sleep before tomorrow's job."

Adam yawned, suddenly feeling very tired. "What's the job tomorrow?" he asked as he followed Sam back towards the motel.

"Reports suggest maybe a werewolf in the area, but will now more when we get their tomorrow. And if you are going to help me with research than you are defiantly going to need some sleep" said Sam.

"Alright" said Adam as he fished his room key out. He made sure to keep quiet as he opened the door. Dean was still fast asleep on the couch in the room. The brothers had fallen into a routine about who would get the beds while the others made do on couches, chairs, and the floor. Adam sank down onto his bed and was almost immediately asleep. Cas finished his burger before he to fell asleep, a habit that he had been forming ever since he had been resurrected. Sam lay on his bed waiting.

"He okay?" came the voice of Dean from the couch.

"Yeah, he just needed a little reassurance that we wanted him" said Sam.

Dean sighed and got up and walked over to where Adam was sleeping.

"You told him about our past?" whispered Dean.

"I glossed over it but yeah I told him the main parts. He thought you didn't want him with us anymore. He felt he was the third wheel in our relationship because of how close we are."

Dean ran a hand through his hair, "I should have thought of that, told him about things sooner."

"You're not perfect Dean, you didn't know. He should be fine now Cas and I managed to ease his fears surpisingly" said Sam looking at their resident angel/brother snuggle further into his trench coat he used as a blanket. So far all of Dean's attempts at changing Cas's wardrobe had been denied, though Dean was sensing Cas's front weakening and was just waiting for a chance to send the cavalry in.

"Cas is understanding better what it means to be human Sammy" explained Dean.

Sam shook his head, typical big brother had an answer to everything. "Whatever you say Dean. But I'm going to bed now, you can continue to stand there like a creepier if you want to."

"I'm not a creepier, I kill creepiers" shot back Dean. But he did move, he leaned down and pulled the blanket so that Adam was completely covered, before going over the Cas and doing the same. Sam was still up when Dean came back over and tucked him in to just like he did when they were young.

"Night Sammy" whispered Dean as he went back to the couch.

"Night Dean."

Dean lay awake for a little while longer listening to the sound of his brother's sleeping. He couldn't believe he had missed this. He thought he had been doing well in adjusting Adam to their way of life. But he had managed to miss something as important as Adam not feeling like he was part of the Winchester family. Times like this his mind betrayed him and wondered if his Dad would have did a better job. With these thoughts he fell into a troubled sleep.

 _Dean was sitting on a dock, fishing pole in one hand and a six pack of beer in the cooler next to him. It was just a relaxing day. No demons, no angels, and no other supernatural creature to get in his way of enjoying the day._

" _You need to stop beating yourself up Dean" came a voice from beside him._

 _Dean turned to see in the other chair beside him his Dad. "Dad"_

" _Hello Dean" John said smiling at his oldest son._

" _This isn't real is it" asked Dean smiling sadly at his Dad._

" _Just because it is happening inside your head does not mean it isn't real Dean" explain John. "I came to talk to you about your brothers."_

 _Dean's face fell, here it was his Dad was going to tell him what he already thought. "No I'm not. I'm here to tell you that you need to stop beating yourself up. You are doing wonderful with Adam and Castiel and including them into our family. You are doing a better job than what I would have been able to do."_

 _Dean was shocked, he never expected his Dad to tell him that._

" _Stop comparing what you have done to me Dean, you are a better hunter than I was and a better Father to Sam. Now it's time for you to wake up Dean"_

"Dean, Dean, time to get up"

Dean opened his eyes to see Sam leaning over him. Dean blinked, the dream slowly slipping from his mind. But he felt lighter than he had in a long time. "Dean! Come on there has been another attack on Waynesville, we need to get on the road" said Sam.

"Alright, alright, I'm up" said Dean throwing on his jeans and jacket. "Where are the others?"

"Adams loading Baby, and Cas popped out to get some coffee and donuts" said Sam throwing the blanket Dean used back onto the bed.

Dean headed out to where Adam was loading the car. Adam stopped when he saw Dean coming.

"Morning Dean"

"Morning Little Brother" returned Dean yawning, but he didn't miss the look of surprise on Adam's face at being addressed as such.

"We leaving soon?" asked Adam shutting the trunk and coming to stand next to Dean.

"As soon Cas comes back" said Dean side-eyeing Adam debating on what to say next. "Adam?"

"Yeah Dean" said Adam.

"I'm glad that you are part of this family" Dean finally said. "You are not a burden."

Adam looked at Dean with an unreadable expression. Dean was not expecting for Adam to lunge forward and hug him. Dean froze for only a moment before returning the hug just as hard.

"Thank-you Dean" whispered Adam.

"Your welcome Adam" returned Dean.

They broke apart just as Sam and Cas appeared. And as Dean sipped his coffee and looked at his brothers he realized something. Life was good, and he wouldn't trade family or his life for anything in the world.


End file.
